Casket-hinge



G. R. KNIGHT.

GASKET HINGE.

APPLICATION FILED nEc. I0, 1919.

Patented Mar. 2, 1920.

SSSZOL /I IIIIII IIIInIIinI W/ T/VESSES GEORGE RAYMOND KNIGHT, OF PTTSBURGH, ILDENNSYLVANIA.

GASKET-HINGE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application tiled December 10, 1919. Serial No. 343,734.

To @ZZ fw hom t may concern Be it known that I, Gnonen RAYMOND KNIGHT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Casket-Hinges, of which the following is a specification. i

My invention is an improvement in casket hinges, and has for its object to provide a hinge of the character specified, by means of which the cover of a casket may be hinged to the body without interfering with the ornamentations of the casket, and wherein the hinge is so arranged that by the pressing of a button the hinge sections may be detached, to permit the cover to be removed bodily' from the casket.

ln the drawings Figure l is a side view with parts in section of the improved hinge,

Fig. 2 is a side view of the detachable portion of the lower section,

Fig. 3 is a sectional detail showing the catch for locking the hinge sections together,

Fig. 4; is a view of the hinge looking from the inside.

ln the present embodiment of the inven tion the improved hinge comprises a section or socket 1 which is connected with the body 2, a leaf 3 which is connected with the top or cover 4, and a leaf 5 which is connected to a member 6 having a portion 7 designed to engage the socket. The hinge leaf 3 is connected with the inner surface of the top in any suitable or desired manner, and a spring 8 is provided normally acting to close the cover, that is, to move the leaves 3 and 5 of the hinge apart.

The portion 6 which connects the hinge leaf 5 detachably with the socket 1 is an are shaped plate as shown, having a length of approximately 909, and the portion 7 which enters the socket is reduced in thickness and in width to fit smoothly within the socket, and to provide shoulders 9 which engage the top of the socket to limit the downward movement of the said portion into the socket.

A catch in the form of a bell crank 10 is pivoted within a recess 11 in the lower end of the portion 7, and this catch has one arm extending longitudinally of the portion 7 and the other arm extending transversely thereof.

A spring arm 12 is connected with the last named arm, and engages a cross pin 13 near the top of the recess, the spring acting normally to press the catch into engaging position, that is, outward with respect to the portion 7. The socket has an opening in its top just sufhcient to receive the portion T which is in effect a bolt, and the catch 10 is rabbeted to engage below a holding bar 14; at the top of the socket to firmly lock the portion 6 of the hinge to the socket and to hinge the cover a to the body of the casket.

The latch may be disengaged from the cross bar 1li by means of a plate spring 15 which is secured within the socket at the lower end thereof, and which is adapted to engage the catch at its upper end. A button 16 is connected with the plate spring for operating the same, and it will be noticed from an inspection of Fig. 3, that a portion of the catch extends beyond the portion 7, far enough'to be engaged by the spring plate 15, to permit the disengagement of the latch plate from the cross bar when the button is pressed inwardly.

In operation when it is desired to open the casket, by merely swinging up the cover this may be done. 1When however, it is desired t-o remove the cover, this may be done by depressing the button. The casket may be provided with four of the hinges or as many as may be desired, that is, the hinges may be arranged at each side, and with this arrangement either side of the cover may be loose from the body to open on the hinge at the other side. Each of the hinges may be released to detach the cover. The hinge does not interfere with the ornamentation of the casket, conforming to the contour thereof, and the only portion of the hinge that projects beyond the surface of the casket is the portion 7, when the hinges are detached.

rlhe hinge does not interfere with the lateral extension of the body of the casket at the top thereof, which ordinarily compels the use of a sliding top or a butt hinge having a loose pintle. `With the improved hinge the casket may be handledby the top of the cover without any danger of ac cidental release since it is absolutely necessary to press the buttons before the hinges will be released. This feature permits the casket to be lifted from a crate by its top, if necessary.

I claim:

1. A hinge for caskets, comprising a Patented Mar. 2, 1920.

socket for Connection With the body of the casket at the upper edge4 thereof, a bar having a reduced portion for entering the socket, a hinge for connecting said bar With the casket cover, latch mechanism for preventing' dis-engagement of the reduced portion of the bar from the socket, and a press button connected with the latch mechanism for releasing the same and operable from outside the casket, said hinge connection between the bar and the cover of the casket being normally spring operated to close said cover.

2. A. hinge for caskets, comprising a socket for connection with the `body'oit the casket at the upper edge thereof, a bar having `a reduced portion for entering the socket, a hinge for connecting said bar with the casket cover, latch mechanism for preventing disengagement of the reduced tion of the bar from the socket, and a press button for releasing said latch mechanism operable from outside the casket, the latch mechanism comprising a catch pivoted to the reduced portion and engaging Within the socket and normally spring pressed into engaging position, and a releasing plate to which the push button is connected.

hinge for caskets, comprising a socket for connection With the body of the casket at the upper edge thereof, a bar havpor- ing a reduced portion for entering' the socket, a hinge for connecting said bar With the casket cover, latch mechanism for preventing disengagement ofthe reduced portion of the bar from the socket, and a press button connected With the latch mechanism for releasing the same and operable from outside the casket, the latch mechanism comprising a catch pivoted to the reduced portion and engaging Within the socket and normally spring pressed into engaging position.

4. A. casket hinge, comprising a socket for comiection with the body of the casket, a member having a bolt for engaging' Within the socket to connect said member with the socket, a latch for preventing release of the bolt, means adapted to extend beyond the casket for releasing the latch, and means for hinging the cover to the said member.

5. A casket hinge comprising a socket for connection With the body of the casket, a member adapted to be hinged to the cover and having a bolt for engaging Within the socket to Connect the said member with the socket, means for preventingprelease of the bolt, and means adapted to extend beyond the casket for releasing said preventing means.

GEORGE RAYMOND KNIGHT. 

